John 17.17 asks, set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.
The Christian is not to live, look, speak, or work like others who do not know the One true God. Christians are to live as Jesus did for they too are children of God. (more…)
1 John 4.17 warns, by this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of
judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world.
Recently an acquaintance of mine died. This man was well known in the community. Many loved him but a few didn’t. He was very wealthy and successful. Gave quite a bit of money away though not much as a percentage of his wealth. Attended church regularly. Once I asked him if he was going to heaven, he answered that he hoped so then proceeded to call a friend who was ill to encourage him. Another good deed to his credit to hopefully put him over the threshold of the amount needed for gaining heaven. (more…)
Luke 13.24 commands, exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you,
will try to enter and will not be able to.
Consider God’s words about the cost of belonging to Him:
Matthew 6.15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
Luke 9.24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
Luke 14.26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 17.33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
John 6.53 I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. (more…)
Hebrews 10.36 reminds, you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.
Why do we need endurance to do God’s will? Does anyone feel the need for endurance? Most people trying to do God’s will want more resources; money, people, time, strength but rarely endurance.
Endurance has the idea of persevering through difficulty. In a world of, with God all things are possible, what do we need endurance for anyway? (more…)
2 Timothy 2.25-26 encourages, perhaps God will grant them repentance and then knowledge of the truth and they will come to their senses and escape the devil’s trap where they are held captive to do his
will.
The world is going crazy because people are increasingly doing crazier things. Granted, 24-hour negative news brings to our attention more crime, more violence and more human atrocity than we ever had before but still, does it seem like the world is running amok at a greater rate than ever?
The world has been in tough places before. It would have been hard times to be on the wrong side of Alexander the Great or Genghis Khan. It would have been hard times during the black plague. It was hard times during both world wars. It is hard times for those living wherever ISIS rules or seeks to rule. (more…)
2 Kings 6.33 observes, the LORD is responsible for this disaster! Why should I continue to wait for the
LORD to help?
On the eve of his deliverance the king of Israel loses his hope and gives up on God. The king had faith as long as he could but he finally reached his breaking point. All of his praying, all of his fasting, all of his trying to do the right thing culminated in nothing in his mind. (more…)
2 Thessalonians 1.8 observes, with flaming fire He will mete out punishment on those who do not know
God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
The next verse says that God will then send to eternal punishment all of these same people. In a word Christianity defines this place of eternal separation from God and eternal suffering as hell. Hell is no longer an accepted place among people. (more…)
1 Thessalonians 2.4 observes, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel,
so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.
The demise of Christian influence in western culture can be attributed in large part to the failure of Christians to consistently and Biblically, present God’s point of view of man, history and Himself. This failure has been facilitated by a desire to not offend people but rather to build bridges with people until people are willing to listen to our message. (more…)
Philippians 3.10 claims, my aim is to know Him, to experience the power of His resurrection, to share in
His sufferings, and to be like Him in His death.
What is the goal of your religion? To get to heaven? This was not the goal of arguably the greatest Christian who was not also God. Perhaps the secret to his Christianity was the fact that he made his understanding, practice and experience of God now, not future. (more…)
Ephesians 6.4 commands fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but raise them up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord.
While this verse is geared toward fathers and their role as spiritual leaders of their home, the commands can be applied more broadly to both our personal lives and the work all Christians are to engage of disciple making.
Specifically the disciplines and instructions we are to live and teach others. What does the discipline of the Lord even mean? (more…)
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